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Mount Mary Hosts Third Session on Sexual Violence

Thu, 03/21/2013 - 11:30am to 1:30pm

Mount Mary College

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On Thursday, March 21 at 11:30 a.m., Mount Mary College will host a special luncheon with Anne Ream, a nationally recognized Chicago-based writer who founded The Voices and Faces Project™, a digital documentary initiative that brings attention to the stories of survivors of sexual violence and trafficking.
The two-hour luncheon also includes a panel discussion with representatives from the Greater Milwaukee Human Trafficking Task Force and the FBI’s Federal Human Trafficking Task Force. The event is $25 for adults and $20 for students and takes place at Mount Mary College, Helfaer Hall, 2900 N. Menomonee River Parkway. Registration can be completed online at http://creatingchange.bpt.me or by mail – Attn. Dana Robb, Mount Mary College, 2900 N. Menomonee River Parkway, Milwaukee, WI 53222.
The luncheon is the final event of “Untold Stories,” a three-part series organized by Rachel Monaco-Wilcox, chair of Mount Mary’s Justice Department. The series focuses on how creativity can fuel social change for survivors of sexual violence and human trafficking. Last fall, the college hosted a two-day writing workshop for survivors. Attendees worked with Ream and R. Clifton Spargo, an author and creator of the writing workshop, to develop works of poetry, short fiction and prose. The works will be on display during the March 21 luncheon.
In the spring, the college hosted a discussion on how state‐of‐the‐art technology and new methods in art therapy can empower communities and individuals to prevent and heal from sexual violence. The two-day event convened social workers, counselors, art therapists, law enforcement personnel, health care professionals, judges and others who are part of the legal system, to learn how survivors of sexual violence and human trafficking can heal through creative expression.
According to Monaco-Wilcox, “Science has shown that writing, drawing or dancing your story is a very powerful healing tool for sexual violence survivors.”
Anne Ream Background
The Voices and Faces Project is a national documentary program created to give voice and face to survivors of sexual violence. It offers a sense of solidarity to those who have lived through rape and abuse while raising awareness of how this human rights and public health issue impacts victims, families and communities.
Ream is the author of a forthcoming book Lived Through This. The book, which will be released in 2014, chronicles her multi-year, multi-country journey listening to the stories of survivors and bringing those stories to the attention of the public.
Ream is a former senior vice president and group creative director at Leo Burnett USA, one of the country’s largest communication agencies. Her essays and opinion pieces have appeared in The Atlanta Journal-Constitution, Chicago Tribune, Los Angeles Times, WashingtonPost.com and numerous other publications.
“Untold Stories" is funded in part by a grant from the Wisconsin Humanities Council with funding from the National Endowment for the Humanities and the state of Wisconsin. More information can be found athttp://www.mtmary.edu/untold-stories.html.